Along with the thermal insulation properties of the glazing units and the anti-burglary protection, soundproofing is particularly important and an increasingly sought-after feature of panes and units as materials used in contemporary construction. The soundproofing of the unit is an indicator of the level of absorption of sound waves. The acoustic properties of a window are measured by the soundproofing value R(w) in Db (logarithmic decibel scale).
The percentages by which they reduce noise at specific soundproofing values are as follows:
- 3 dB – Barely audible sound
- 10 dB – sound is reduced by 50%
- 20 dB – sound is reduced by 75%
- 30 dB – sound is reduced by 88%
- 40 dB – sound is reduced by 94%
To achieve good soundproofing, we use certain technics in glazing units:
- An asymmetrical composition of panes: a combination of panes with different widths, leads to improved absorption of sound waves
- The width of the gas space: the wider the distance between panes, the better the soundproofing
- The use of tinted panes and panes with special sound-absorbing films
- The use of inert gasses (argon, krypton) in the units improves soundproofing
| INSULATED GLASS UNIT (mm) | CONFIGURATION | FILM | THICKNESS (mm) | GAS | SOUND PROOFING (dB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOUBLE GLAZING UNIT | |||||
| mm(in) | pane/gas/pane | material | Total in mm | value | |
| 24 (15/16’’) | 4/16/4 | 24 | Argon | 31 | |
| 24 | 4/15/5 | 24 | Argon | 35 | |
| 24 | 4/14/4 | 24 | Argon | 35 | |
| 24 | 4/12/8 | 24 | Argon | 36 | |
| 24 | 6/12/6 | 24 | Argon | 33 | |
| 24 | 6/12/33.1 | PVB | 24.38 | Argon | 35 |
| 24 | 4/12/44.2 | PVB | 24.76 | Argon | 37 |
| 24 | 33.1/12/33.1 | PVB | 24.76 | Argon | 36 |
| 30 (1 3/16’’) | 6/16/44.2 | SR | 30.78 | Argon | 41 |
| 30 | 4/22/4 | 30 | Argon | 35 | |
| TRIPLE GLAZING UNIT | |||||
| mm(in) | pane/gas/pane/gas/pane | material | Total in mm | value | |
| 38 (1 ½’’) | 4/14/4/12/4 | 38 | Argon | 32 | |
| 38 | 4/12/5/12/4 | 37 | Argon | 33 | |
| 38 | 6/12/4/10/6 | 38 | Argon | 35 | |
| 38 | 4/14/4/12/4 | 38 | Argon | 32 | |
| 38 | 4/12/4/12/33.1 | PVB | 38.38 | Argon | 34 |
| 38 | 33.1/12/4/10/33.1 | PVB | 38.76 | Argon | 35 |
| 38 | 4/12/4/12/33.1 | SR | 38.38 | Argon | 36 |
| 44 (1 ¾’’) | 4/16/4/16/4 | 44 | Argon | 32 | |
| 44 | 4/16/5/16/4 | 45 | Argon | 34 | |
| 44 | 6/14/4/16/4 | 44 | Argon | 34 | |
| 44 | 6/12/4/12/10 | 44 | Argon | 38 | |
| 44 | 6/14/4/14/6 | 44 | Argon | 36 | |
| 44 | 4/14/4/16/33.1 | PVB | 44.38 | Argon | 37 |
| 44 | 4/14/4/14/44.2 | PVB | 44.76 | Argon | 37 |
| 44 | 6/12/6/12/44.2 | PVB | 44.76 | Argon | 39 |
| 44 | 8/12/6/12/33.1 | PVB | 44.38 | Argon | 40 |
| 44 | 33.1/14/4/14/33.1 | PVB/PVB | 44.76 | Argon | 38 |
| 44 | 44.2/12/4/14/33.1 | PVB/PVB | 45.14 | Argon | 39 |
| 52 (2’’) | 55.2/14/6/12/44.2 | SR/SR | 51.44 | Argon | 47 |
| 52 | 8/20/4/14/6 | 52 | Argon | 37 | |
| 52 | 8/16/4/14/55.2 | PVB | 52.76 | Argon | 42 |
Residential buildings, schools, hotels and hospitals in the vicinity of busy streets and crossroads are recommended to use windows with soundproofing values of 37 – 39 dB.
Buildings near airports or industrial areas should use soundproofing windows of 41 -44 dB.